Plaid Cymru calls for recall of UK Parliament to stop the sale of weapons to Israel

Plaid Cymru has called for an immediate recall of the UK parliament following Israeli air strikes on Gaza aid workers which killed seven people, including three UK citizens. They have also called on the UK Government to stop selling arms to Israel, saying that by continuing to do so, the UK Government are ‘aiding in the killing of civilians.’

On Monday 1 April, three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, an American-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian died when the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse. They were all aid workers for World Central Kitchen.

UK defence exports to Israel amounted to £42 million in 2022. Since 2008, the UK has licenced arms worth over £574 million to Israel, according to analysis of Government export data by Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), a UK based pressure group that seeks an end to the global arms trade.

Plaid Cymru Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, said:

“The barbaric killing of aid workers in Gaza, three of whom were British nationals, is the latest atrocity in Gaza where over 30,000 civilians have died in the last six months.

“We must now see an immediate recall of Parliament to scrutinise the continued support of this war and of the sale of arms by the UK Government and the Labour opposition. All political parties represented in Westminster should be in the Chamber to hold to account the government’s reluctant response to the growing evidence of Israel state enabled targeted killings of innocent people.”

“The UK Government must stop the sale of weapons to Gaza immediately, and stop aiding in the killing of so many innocent lives.”

Plaid Cymru Leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, said:

“This situation demands that the Prime Minister comes to parliament without further delay to outline the UK government’s response to the killing of UK citizens by Israel, to enable MPs to scrutinise this response, and to allow Parliament to debate and vote on ending arms sales to Israel.

“Plaid Cymru has been calling for an immediate Ceasefire in Gaza and Israel since October last year, and along with many colleagues in the House of Commons, we have continuously urged the UK Government to do more to secure that immediate ceasefire, including ending the sale of weapons to Israel.

“Our call to end arms sales to Israel has been repeatedly rejected by the UK government and the Labour Party, despite the overwhelming evidence that Israel is breaching international law through its indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza and its collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”